1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus in which an application is installed, a method for controlling the application in the image forming apparatus, and a program for executing the method.
2. Description of the Related Art
Digital multifunctional apparatuses that include an image scanning section such as a scanner and an image forming section such as a printer, and which handle image information from the image scanning section as digital information, are known. Such digital multifunctional apparatuses have, besides the basic document copy function, the additional function of connecting to a network. Thus, the digital multifunctional apparatuses can perform the print function of printing print data received via the network and the transmission function of transmitting image information scanned by the image scanning section via the network. Among the digital multifunctional apparatuses, some digital multifunctional apparatuses have the function of connecting to a publicly-switched telephone network (PSTN) and performing facsimile communication.
The above-described digital multifunctional apparatuses generally have a display apparatus such as a liquid crystal display (LCD) with a certain degree of resolution. The digital multifunctional apparatuses can execute application programs for allowing a user to use various functions.
For example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-122853 discloses a digital multifunctional apparatus that can enhance, improve, and add functions by installing a program received via a network in the apparatus and allowing the apparatus to execute processing in accordance with the program.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-287990 describes the technique of, not only installing a program in a digital multifunctional apparatus, but also performing other operations, that is, activating, deactivating, and uninstalling the installed program via a network.